Senate Urges Buhari To Address Nigerians On Coronavirus

The Senate has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on the situation of coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

According to them, addressing the nation would ensure citizens adhere to preventive measures currently in place on the virus.

The Red Chamber also suggested taking drastic measures to curtail the virus, as wel as shutting down all international airports in Nigeria except Abuja and Lagos as well as suspend the issuance of visa on arrival.

More so it advised the Federal government, to quarantine Nigerians returning from countries that had recorded over 1,000 cases.

Special intervention fund should be set aside to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, it urged.

These resolutions followed a motion by Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe).

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, cautioned against being complacent even though the country had only three (now eight) confirmed cases.

“If we feel we are safe, it will lead us to complacency,” he said, urging the government to marshal all available resources to tackle the virus spread.

Lawal also urged the federal government to set up testing centres in each of the six geopolitical zones, saying that it was dangerous for not having centres in north and southeast.

Senators, in their various contributions, said if advanced countries were taking drastic measures to contain COVID19 and protect their citizens, Nigeria should not be an exception.

They said the virus may spread to other part of the country if serious measures are not taken.